Where were you when I needed you?
by Uchihaflower14
Summary: Naruto was alone. He was completely and utterly alone on Christmas day. Sakura never showed up. She never does show up. He finds Hinata in the depths of the shadows. Slowly she begins to show him that he was never alone. Because he always had her.


Hey guys. This is the first chapter of my newest story. It is inspired by Apologize by Timbaland. Thank you for reading and please leave a review. MissladyEmiko chan if you're out there, hey!

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. I pwn him.

Naruto was alone. He had never felt so completely and utterly alone in his life. It was Christmas and very cold. What a day to be alone. He was sitting in an empty booth, waiting for someone that wouldn't come. He should have known she wouldn't come. Why did always have to be so naive? She would be apologizing when he got back to the dorms. He knew she would. She was always messing up and then apologizing. And like always, he would forgive her without another question. Because he loved her.

He pondered, once again, why he loved her. When their relationship got hard, it was these moments that he tried to remember why he had fallen in love with her, and tried to renew the passion that he had always felt for her. But lately it had gotten harder. And now, he just felt empty. He wondered vaguely if she would make excuses. He hated her excuses even more than her apologies. The sudden arrival of the waitress interrupted his morose speculation. He looked up at her. She stared back expectantly.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, snapping her gum for emphasis. Naruto winced. He had always hated bubblegum.

"Give her twenty more minutes. She'll come." The waitress heaved a prodigious sigh and left, as doubtful as himself of the existence of his date. For awhile, he merely sat, transfixed by the meager light of the dancing candle in front of him, but of course still thinking of Sakura. Noisy cars honked their horns at each other outside. Five minutes blended into ten which became fifteen, until, finally it was eight thirty. He blew out the candle, and with it, his love for his dream girl.

It was dark when he got out, but not dark enough that he couldn't find his way home. The air was biting and seeped right through his jacket to his heart. As he was walking, he thought he saw something moving in the shadows. He walked towards it curiously and squinted through the foggy blackness. A small woman jumped from the shadows and emitted a shriek. She quickly covered her mouth, and glanced down apologetically. A soft blush crept up her porcelain cheeks.

" I-I'm s-s-sorry," she stuttered. "You startled me."

"Don't worry about it. What are you doing here at night though?" Her blush deepened as he leaned in closer in order scrutinize her further.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, startling her again. "I know you!" Her face lit up in a smile. He was taken aback for a moment. She was beyond beautiful when she smiled.

"Hai. I'm Hyuuga, Hinata," she confirmed.

" Right. The Hyuuga." He nodded and shoved his pockets casually in his pockets. He remembered. "Well," he said, flashing her a smile, " I gotta get going. Curfew, you know."

"Yeah, me too." she admitted.

"Hey, we could walked together!" he said excitedly. "You shouldn't be walking alone at night. I can walk you to your dorm!" She nervously fiddled with her purse.

"U-umm.. Ok, thanks. If its no trouble," she agreed.

"Great!" She watched him as they went together. He had his hands in a relaxed position behind his head. His spiky blonde hair was in it's usual disarray, messy but still managing to look adorable. He was wearing a orange jacket with black jeans. He walked in a confident swagger down the sidewalk. Hinata helped him find her apartment complex near their college.

"Cool place," he commented. She beamed. She had helped design it. Naruto lingered on her doorstep, afraid to be left alone again. Seeing his desperation, she touched his hand briefly and looked into his eyes.

"Naruto kun, are you all right?" He did a double take.

"Wha - Oh yeah. It's nothing."

"Ok," she replied as she put her key in the door, deciding to leave the matter alone.

And then, so quietly that she couldn't be sure, he whispered, " Merry Christmas, Hinata chan." When she looked back, he was gone.

...

Thank you Anthony for addressing that point. (also thnx cause you listened to my plea for reviews. )Ok, first of all, this story is not in this world. So, they, presumably do not have our calendar. Second of all, this story could happen any year because it is an AU. So, excuse me for making Christmas a Friday. If you want it on the actual date though, you can go find a calendar and change it yourself. Sry if that seemed rude. I didn't mean it to be. ;) I just thought I should make it a Christmas fic with Christmas right around the corner. Also thank you Okazi san and Kall me Kaze san for reviewing. Once again, I do not own Naruto and all that silliness. Again, seriously, plz review. If you don't I might not update. Might.

...

He shuffled away, the intense fear settling uncomfortably in his stomach. The light covering of snow crunched under feet. His thoughts were jumbled and disorganized. He wondered how he could confront her. He had never actually talked to her about her antagonistic point of view. The faster he thought, the faster he walked. When he heard his name, he tripped and fell face down on the ground. The cold felt good to his feverish brow, but the harsh edge of the cement cut scratched his forehead deeply. His fist clenched the snow. He felt lightheaded from the impact of the ground. He lay still for a moment. Then he stiffened. His nails were cutting into his palm but he didn't care. Sakura was here.

...

She was calling his name. With a groan, he lifted himself to his knees.

She snorted when she saw his disheveled appearance. "What on earth, Baka. I have enough work to do without always having to patch you up. Geez." He stood stolidly, waiting for her to finish. She sensed something was wrong and gave him a quick once over with her green eyes.

"What is it, Baka?" He had hoped she would start things out more civilly. He couldn't believe that she had the nerve to be talking like this when she had just blown him off, for the third time no less. He had hoped that he could convince himself that she did love him, that she did care. Because, he realized. It's not so much that I don't love her anymore. She doesn't love me anymore.

"Sakura," he sighed her name. " Why weren't you there? I waited for you. But you didn't show. You weren't there," he repeated. She raised a perfectly-shaped brow in confusion.

" What are you talking about, Baka? When di- Oh. Oh." She let out a soft gasp.

"Oh, Naruto. I completely forgot. I'm so sorry." He shifted uncomfortably. She was making pathetic excuses again.

"Sure you are. Unfortunately, Sakura, that phrase kind of loses it's meaning when it's said over and over again." She hung her head in shame.

"What do you want me to say, then?" He lifted her chin and searched her eyes, hoping to find some proof of her love, something that would reassure him that she did forget, that she did want to spend time with him.

" Sakura," he asked, " Do you love me?" Her eyes widened in surprise. Whatever had been expecting him to say, it certainly wasn't that.

"L-love you?" Her voice faltered. She looked away. Anywhere except his piercing blue eyes. They always say that eyes are windows to the soul. And she knew that whatever her eyes were saying, it wasn't something that Naruto needed to know. She laughed. The sound was high-pitched and off. It was false and both of them knew it.

"Of course I love you Naruto kun, I need you." He shook his head before the words had died on her lips.

"Look at me and say it."

"I-I... I love y-you. Of course I do. I'm sorry. Please, listen Naruto." she insisted. He merely stared at her, sadness emanating from every part of him.

"Naruto?"

"I hate people who lie to themselves..." He shook his head again, trying unsuccessfully to clear his brain of his jumbled thoughts. He had to leave. He had to get out before she could hurt him again. Quit her drug before the consequences really started to appear. He leaned in and kissed her on her forehead. That was the last image he registered of her before he walked away. Her perfect mouth was slightly open in surprise, her arms frozen at her sides. "Goodbye, Sakura." he thought. "Maybe in another world we were meant to be. This isn't it..."

...

Did it go too fast? I feel like it did. It's still not done, but the writing just isn't coming as easily as it does. Getting feedback would probably be more motivation though.


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